Orientation Programme, 'Regulatory Realm for Green Buildings and EIA’

Date: August 24-26, 2011

Centre for Science and Environment’s Green Building Unit is conducting a three-day orientation programme, 'Regulatory Realm for Green Buildings and EIA’, for regulators and policy makers from different cities of India from August 24-26, 2011.

This forum will facilitate interaction with an esteemed group of experts and resource persons to capture the content, intent and direction of the regulatory processes and policies in the building sector in India. City regulators are now dealing with a wide gamut of regulatory tools that have some bearing on resource efficiency of the buildings. These include environment impact assessment rules for large buildings, ECBC for large commercial buildings, National Building Laws that have some elements of resource savings, special bye laws related to rainwater harvesting and conservations etc. While it is important to deepen the policy understanding of potential and constraints of each of these regulatory tools for promoting efficient use of resources and minimise waste in buildings, it is also important to explore the scope of harmonising the rules and further strengthening the implementation strategies for an effective impact. This interactive forum will therefore help to address a wide gamut of questions:

Enabling more effective application of EIA Regulation for high impact Buildings

Understanding the National Building Code and Building Bye Laws for resource efficiency measures and its interface with other relevant regulations

Sectoral action:

Energy and buildings: Energy challenge of buildings

Enabling wider application of Energy Conservation Building Code

Water and Waste Regulations for buildings water efficiency appliances

Buildings and neighbourhood: Special case of traffic impacts

Emerging best practices

The importance of this forum lies in the fact that the real estate is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. The growing trend towards high impact buildings can have adverse environmental consequences. This will have to be effectively assessed, regulated and administered. This demands strong regulatory capacity at the city level.